After 27 years as a high school basketball coach, Dave Yamate decided he needed to watch his own children's games.

Thus, he is retiring as Santa Maria's boys varsity basketball coach after 11 seasons.

The Saints made multiple post-season runs under Yamate, and the program hosted a CIF divisional semifinals game for the first time in program history this year. The Saints lost to eventual champion Strathmore in the Division 5 semis.

Eight of Yamate's 11 Santa Maria teams qualified for the post-season.

Before coaching at Santa Maria, Yamate coached the varsity boys basketball team at Morro Bay for seven years. He coached at Huntington Beach Edison and at his alma mater, Huntington Beach Marina, before moving to the Central Coast. Yamate was an assistant coach for the Hancock College women

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